TWO SPONSORS STEP UP FOR SA BOAT SHOW EXHIBITION
Bigger is better in the Home of the Brave. Which is why South Africa is going big at this year’s Miami Boat Show thanks to generous sponsorship from both the City of Cape Town and the SA Embassy in the USA.
No less than five top boatbuilders will fly the flag for brand SA: Phoenix / Xquisite, Royal Cape Catamarans, St Francis Catamarans, Knysna Yacht Company and Robertson & Caine. Their boats will take pride of place next to a 10 x 20ft in water float. The SABBEX / Boating SA exhibition will be hosted by several top local industry stalwarts, among them SABBEX chairman Bruce Tedder.
The City of Cape Town’s investment arm, Invest Cape Town, is also sending three representatives who will be joined by South Africa’s Ambassador in New York and staff from the Washington DC office. The SA embassy generous sponsorship includes hosting an opening/press conference amongst other expenses and the City of Cape Town has contributed to boosting marketing efforts at the show. The SA stand will also feature promotional audio visual displays and other marketing collateral supplied by SABBEX/BSA members.
The 2019 Miami show, between Feb 14 -18, is the 78th edition of one of the world’s premier boating events which started under one tent with just 50 boats. It now showcases more than 1400 boats ranging from 10’ to 90’ in an area spanning 90 acres and home to 1100 exhibitors.
Annual attendance tops 100 000 visitors who consume about 2500 glasses of champagne and can wander along 3,5miles of quayside. James Vos, City of Cape Town executive head of Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, said boatbuilding was a strategic economic sector that creates thousands of jobs and attracts a positive trade balance of $73-million annually. “The City of Cape Town, through Invest Cape Town, is working with local entrepreneurs, SMEs and multinationals to showcase one of Cape Town’s catalytic sectors,” Vos said. “The Miami Boat Show is a key platform for us to drive more investment and opportunities to our industry and we are proud to partner with SABBEX,” he said.